Phoenix Reborn
by Phoenixslayer99
Summary: OC Shiki is neglected by her parents because they decide to train her idiot of a brother, Naruto, over herself. Soon after she asks her parents to train her and is refused, the god and goddesses come to her with an offer she can no longer refuse after waiting for her parents to train her. OC/Itachi Romance. Slight Star Wars and Assassin's Creed crossover. On hiatus.
1. Beginnings

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own Assassin's Creed, Star Wars, or (World of) Warcraft.

This is very AU. Several slight crossovers. This is my first fanfiction, so please bear with me if it isn't very good.

**(Konoha, Forest Outskirts)**

Namikaze Minato, Yondaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, the strongest hidden village of the five that were recognized as the greatest, cradled his two newborn twins. His secret wife, Uzumaki Kushina, was a Jinchuuriki, hence the reason why he was there. They were both Fuuinjutsu Masters in their own rights, but there had to be one watching over Kushina as she went through labor.

As soon as Minato began cradling his twins in his arms, he put them down to draw a Hiraishin kunai to deflect a kunai that was thrown from outside the grove of trees he and Kushina were in. "Show yourself!" Minato shouted as more kunai came.

"As you wish." a masculine voice said. A man appeared in the grove with something on his shoulder.

Sarutobi Biwako, wife of the Sandaime Hokage, was a nurse for Kushina as she went through labor. Her corpse now hung over the mysterious man's shoulder. He dropped her body unceremoniously to the ground. Minato growled.

Throwing a Hiraishin kunai between the intruder's legs and into the ground behind him, Minato charged up a Rasengan and appeared in a yellow flash behind the man. As he thrust the Rasengan into the man's body, however, the Rasengan went through him rather than beginning to grind his skin and spin his innards to the point where he would die.

Losing his balance, Minato tipped forward and transitioned into a barrel roll, Rasengan dissipating as he did so.

The mysterious man scoffed. He disappeared from his spot and reappeared next to the two babies, who were a few meters away from Kushina. After his barrel roll, Minato had ended up next to Kushina. The man spoke.

"Step away from the Jinchuuriki or lose your babies within their first three minutes of life." He now had the two infants in his hands.

Shocked, Minato tried to convince him to put them down. "Now now, this is really not so cool. If you would, please put them down... Gently... Or else I will not step away."

"Too late." the man threw the two babies in different directions high into the air. Minato, thinking quickly, threw a Hiraishin kunai towards the ground beneath one and dashed to catch the other. Once he caught the boy, Naruto, he flashed to save the girl, Shiki.

"Tsk tsk. So careless. I would've expected better of the Yondaime Hokage, a prodigy even among geniuses. Really now. Flashing at such high speeds even for just a few meters? That could have killed your child..." He mocked. Holding his hand above Kushina's seal, he looked at the seal. It flashed red and immediately cracked, instantly releasing the Kyuubi. O the terrifying Kyuubi no Kitsune! Its nine tails lashed in anger, causing widespread destruction.

"Destroy Konoha!" the man shouted as he cackled maniacally. The Kyuubi began heading towards Konoha while laying a path of destruction a half a mile wide on either side of itself. "Deal with this, Yondaime! Byebye!" As he spoke, he disappeared in a spiral of time/space.

Minato cursed as the man disappeared. He rushed to Kushina's side and checked on her. She was still alive even though the man, who was probably a renegade Uchiha, had ripped the Nine-tailed Fox from the seal forcefully. Thank Kami for the Uzumaki healing and regeneration!

"Kushina. I'm really sorry to do this, but I really have to do this. I have to seal the Kyuubi into our two new babies. I cannot just ask any other person for a baby. Please forgive me Kushina." he said as a tear dropped from his eye.

"I understand. Do what you must do. Get Tsunade to me; this hurts like hell!" she shouted. Biting his thumb to draw blood, Minato summoned a smaller messenger toad and said, "Get Tsunade. Kushina needs help." The toad saluted and hopped away. Summoning again, he now stood upon Gamabunta's head. "Get me to Konoha. the Kyuubi is attacking and I must seal it." he ordered.

* * *

**(Konoha)**

"Hold off the Kyuubi until the Yondaime arrives!" an ANBU shouted.

"On three! Uchihas use Gokakyuu! One! Two! Three!" Sarutobi Hiruzen, Sandaime Hokage, commanded.

"**Katon: Gokakyuu no Jutsu!**" came the shouts of many Uchiha.

As if on cue, the Kyuubi swatted the fireballs, and they dissipated. Raising its nine tails, it began charging energy to its mouth. When it swallowed the energy, there was a flash of yellow and Gamabunta punched the Kyuubi's face, misdirecting the **Bijuudama** to the side where there was nothing except bare forest.

The ninja cheered when they saw that the Yondaime had come. In another brilliant flash of yellow, the Yondaime, Gamabunta, and Kyuubi had all disappeared.

Appearing in a clearing a nice distance away from Konoha, Namikaze Minato set about sealing. He drew the sealing matrix on both babies. His hands blurred through a chain of handseals that only he knew. "**Shiki Fuuin!**"

Like a spectre, the Shinigami appeared beside him. "Seal the Kyuubi into my two babies, chakra into my son and soul into my daughter." he pleaded.

The Shinigami's hand reached into the Kyuubi, pulling two substances, a red liquid and a red mist. He put a little liquid into the mist, but for what reason was unknown to Minato. The Shinigami put the mist into Shiki and the liquid into little Naruto. "**_It is done. Are you ready to leave the plane of life and join me in my stomach?_**" asked the Shinigami.

"I... I... I'm..." Minato's memories flashed through his head. "I'm not ready." he admitted.

"**_Very well then. You may live. You will come to me one day eventually. What is a century to millennia? Do not summon me again, or I will take it as your desire to leave this plane of life. You will lose 10 years of your life for this._**"

"T-Thank you, Shinigami-sama!" Minato said, bowing. The Shinigami showed no acknowledgement of the thanks and merely faded away.

"Rejoice! Villagers of Konoha, civilians and shinobi, today we have suffered a great loss! But worry not! We have gained much more! We have gained a son and daughter of the Yondaime!" Minato shouted, raising his son above his head while Kushina raised their daughter. Kushina had joined him on the Hokage tower with Tsunade beside her.

* * *

**(Namikaze-Uzumaki Compound, 4 years after Kyuubi attack)**

"Tou-san! Kaa-san! Can we start training? We wanna become shinobi!" the two children said excitedly. Minato said, "Naruto can start."

Kushina immediately objected. "What? Only him? What about Shiki?"

"Naruto has to learn how to control the Kyuubi's power. Shiki, however, is much more delicate. We'll start her training when she begins at the Academy."

"Okay, then." Kushina agreed uncertainly.

**(Namikaze-Uzumaki Compound, 3 months later)**

"Tou-san! Kaa-chan! I did it!" Naruto yelled as he performed a sloppy taijutsu kata.

"Very good!" Minato praised him. Kushina came from the porch to give her congratulations as well. Minato wore his customary shinobi pants, shinobi sandals, flak jacket, and white haori with red flames at the bottom and "Yondaime Hokage" in kanji. He had sunshine yellow hair with bangs that framed his face and a hitai-ate tied to his forehead.

Kushina was practically a goddess in human form. She had long, flowing red hair that went to the small of her back. She had an impressive bust at a D-cup. Her heart shaped face and curvy body would make any man die for her.

Naruto was basically a carbon copy of his father, down to the face structure and eye shape.

In the shadows of a tree not too far away, two amethyst eyes narrowed at the family scene. Shiki felt bitter. For the last 3 months, all of their parents' attention had been on Naruto. She would suggest going to the Akimichi barbecue restaurant, but Naruto would always "suggest" going to Ichiraku's instead. They always took Naruto's idea. Never hers.

She growled quietly in anger and silently climbed up the wall of the compound using hand and footholds that she herself made with a kunai. She climbed through her open window and tossed herself onto the bed. Her room had no furnishings. It was merely a bed, a window, and a bookshelf stuffed with scrolls on techniques, Fuinjutsu, books, novels, everything. There was a door leading into a bathroom and another to a medium sized closet. She locked her door and went to sleep.

Shiki opened her eyes. As she opened them, she saw four figures. One wore all white. Another wore all black. The third wore grey. The last wore green. When they saw that she had awoken, they began introducing themselves.

"I am Kami, Goddess of Light and Order." said the one in white. She had pale, unblemished skin, silvery silken hair. Her bust was at a perky C-cup. She wore a white dress that went down to her feet and trailed behind her. It also had loose long sleeves.

"I am Yami, Goddess of Darkness and Chaos." said the one in black. She had pale skin and pitch black hair that shone. She had a firm D-cup rack. She wore a slightly see through black haori with nothing but a bra and panties underneath.

"I am Shinigami, God of Life and Death." said the one in grey. He, like the others, had pale skin, but his hair was an unnatural pale white. He carried a scythe with him, and he had grey robes that covered his body.

"I am Tozi, Goddess of Nature." said the one in green. She had pale, unblemished skin like Kami. She wore a crown of flowers upon her head, and her red hair made her distinctive from the others. She wore a flowing green dress.

"We have summoned you, Shiki, here to discuss your future." they said in unison.

"Thank you for summoning me here, Kami-sama, Yami-sama, Shinigami-sama, Tozi-sama. But why have you summoned me here? I am the ignored of two twins. I am the scapegoat of the village. They seek to bring me pain. I have naught but this new vision, a vision that shows me who is friendly in blue and who is hostile in red and my targets in gold." Shiki trailed off.

Kami stepped to her and enveloped the girl in a hug. "You show much more intelligence than any of us have ever seen before in a child so young. We have agreed as a whole to assist you however we can. We have summoned many teachers for you to teach you as you sleep. We will have them reside in your mind until they have finished teaching you all there is to learn from them."

"Really?" Shiki asked, her lip trembling. A tear threatened to escape from her eye.

"Really." said Shinigami. Whistling, he called for the teachers to come in. "I give you your teachers. Introduce yourselves."

"I am Ezio Auditore da Firenze. I am an Assassin of the Brotherhood of Assassins. I will teach you how to use my weapons, move like me, and how to recognize a Templar, dogs that they are." he said. Ezio had a scar from his upper lip to his lower chin and wore the white robes of an Assassin along with the pointed hood, which was off at the moment. The most significant part of his armor was the symbol that was on the red sash tied around his waist. "Once you pass my expectations, you will be given my armor to succeed me as an Assassin, for my days are far gone. Assassins are few and hard to find, but we are more efficient than any typical Jounin you have."

"I am a Sith Lord, Jedi Master. I am Revan. I will show you, teach you the ways of the Force, the art of lightsaber combat, and the codes Jedi and Sith live by." He wore a dark cloak, dark clothes, and a hood that concealed his features. His eyes were clearly seen as they glowed with an ethereal sickly golden yellow. He had two metal cylinders hanging at either side of his waist.

"I am the Rikudo Sennin, Sage of the Six Paths. I will teach you not only because Shinigami asked me to, but because I sense in you the great desire to find peace and the eye that I myself possess." He opened his eyes, revealing deep purple eyes with concentric circles surrounding the pupil. He wore old-fashioned samurai armor.

"I am Jaximus, Master of Arms. I can teach you all there is to know about weapons." another said. He had the strangest of attires Shiki had ever seen.

"I am Illidan Stormrage. I can teach you some of my own brethren's styles of hand-to-hand combat as well as weaponry." He was a peculiar creature. He had bluish-lavender skin, pointed ears, was blindfolded, had two blades that probably required a lot of twisting to cut, and had two black wings that lifted him into the air. He was a Night Elf.

"These will be your teachers, Shiki. They will teach you as you sleep. Time passes much faster in your mind than in your waking hours. One day in your mind will be an hour in real life, so as the Goddess Tozi decrees." declared Tozi.

"Kyuu!" Shinigami said, snapping his fingers. As he snapped his fingers, a red mist with a hint of liquid in it drifted from Shiki's stomach and transformed into a redheaded woman who had a killer body.

"Hai! Shinigami-sama!" Kyuu said.

"Kyuubi no Kitsune, be grateful that I decided to defy Namikaze and leave you with a portion of your youki. It will regenerate within nine years. You will assist Shiki in her training. Get her a training schedule for her waking hours." Shinigami ordered.

"Okay. I have one. Physical Conditioning 5 A.M. to Noon. Lunch for half an hour. Chakra control from 12:30 PM to 4 P.M. Free Running or free time for the rest of the day." Kyuu listed.

"That will be good for now. We don't need the poor girl to die." said Yami.

"Then it is agreed. You who shall teach the girl will reside within her mind and teach her until she has nothing left to learn."

"Va bene." replied Ezio as the others said "Understood." The teachers faded into differently colored mists and flowed into Shiki.

"I bestow upon you the knowledge of sealing." Kami said, kissing Shiki's head. Shiki instantly felt a rush of information on sealing. "Now go. You are waking. Do not tell of our meeting. We will see each other again. We will summon you one day in the future. Do your best to be prepared."

* * *

**(Namikaze-Uzumaki Compound, the next day)**

As Kyuu said, Shiki immediately began a series of training regimes, such as push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, and running. When it was time for chakra control training, Kyuu taught Shiki the **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu**. The knowledge of each clone would go to the original user. That sped up mental and chakra control training immensely. Shiki did not have the chakra capacity to make a ton like Naruto could have, but she had the smarts between the two.

**A/N:** How'd you like that? Please review and give me your opinions! I would like to learn about what I'm doing wrong and what I can do to fix it. Thank you!

_Phoenixslayer99 out._


	2. Disappearance

**Disclaimer: **Naruto does not belong to me. All rights go to Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own Assassin's Creed, Star Wars, or (World of) Warcraft.

* * *

Everything is now set in motion! What will Shiki do next?

: This chapter has been edited. Perhaps it will be more to your liking. Thank you for your opinion!

Dee: Alright it's been changed. She is now an OC. ^.^

* * *

**(Namikaze-Uzumaki Compound, twins age 9)**

Shiki had stopped asking her parents to train her less. She stopped asking to go places. She trained for the whole day until it was dinner. She read books that Itachi got for her in her room instead of attending dinner.

It had been five long years ever since she had first asked her parents to train her. Her teachers in her mind had trained her to the bone. Kyuubi brought her to exhaustion every day through grueling physical regimes along with chakra control. Shiki was now at low Chuunin level for Genjutsu, borderline Jounin level Taijutsu and speed, and around the range of high Chuunin for ninjutsu. She had also finished the first stage of elemental manipulation of all elements and was nearing completion of the second stages of Suiton and Fuuton. Nevertheless, she was coming along very well.

Shiki was taught a lot by Ezio. He watched from within her mind, instructing her on how to blend in with crowds to avoid ANBU and sensor shinobi and pickpocket shinobi. Every time she made a mistake, however slight it was, he barked at her that she would have been caught. The young girl was progressing very nicely, however, so he awarded her with the right to wear the Assassin's Robes.

Her progression in Force abilities was quite the stunner, especially seeing how she had started rather late at the age of five. She could successfully lift three rocks around her as she sat meditating and was able to stop projectiles that flew towards her. Revan was impressed, for Padawans tended not to be able to do such a thing until their adolescent years.

She wore no long sleeves under her robes, so her arms were bared up to the shoulders, upon which shoulder pads rested. Along with the regular shinobi weapons pouch, she had a small medicine kit in case she was ever injured. Shiki had also taken to wearing her hood all the time, thus avoiding the glances at her from shinobi and civilians alike.

Her pointed hood made her distinctive among the shinobi population. She never shared her identity with any that she disliked though. The only people she befriended were Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Mikoto, Hyuuga Neji, Hyuuga Hizashi, Shiranui Genma, Inuzuka Hana, Uzuki Yuugao, Mitarashi Anko, and Yuuhi Kurenai.

Uchiha Mikoto was a friend because she had found Shiki wandering around the village alone after she had trained. She then decided to go give her Namikaze friends a piece of her mind. Letting a child wander around a bustling village? Preposterous! When she reached the Namikaze-Uzumaki Compound, she immediately screamed as loud as she could. "KUSHINA! GET YOUR ASS HERE NOW!"

A confused Kushina exited the gates of the compound with Minato in tow. "Mikoto? What are you doing here? And why is Shiki with you?" she asked.

"I found Shiki wandering on the streets of Konoha alone! Why was she out there? Did you even know she was out there?" Mikoto fired off the questions in quick succession.

"Shiki, go to your room." Minato ordered. Shiki obeyed immediately, not wanting to incur the wrath of the Konoha no Kiiroi Senko. However, instead of going to her room, she stood in the shadow of the door.

"No I didn't know, Mikoto. But thank you for bringing her back to us." Kushina said.

Mikoto saw a flash of movement in her peripheral vision. She tilted her head and saw Naruto, training away while Shiki was sent to her room. "Why is Naruto training to be a shinobi while Shiki is sent to her room?" she inquired.

"He needs to learn how to control Kyuubi's chakra." Minato cut in.

"Fine then, _Namikaze_." Mikoto spat in disgust. "Your neglect of your own daughter could very well result in disruption. Good day, Hokage-_sama_." Mikoto hissed the very last bit out before sharply turning and walking away.

Kushina was very confused about her best friend's sudden change in attitude. "Why is she acting like this?" she wondered aloud.

"I don't know, Kushina-koi, but we must return to Naruto. He grows impatient." Minato said, nudging her in Naruto's direction.

Shiki growled and finally went to her room, locking the door and securing her room with a series of seals including a silencing seal and barrier seal. Ever since that incident, Mikoto began helping Shiki learn how to survive, tolerate people, and cook. Itachi also watched over Shiki's training when he was off ANBU duty.

* * *

**(Hokage Office, the next day)**

Minato groaned as his secretary piled another stack of paperwork onto the sturdy old desk of Hokages. He glared at his archenemy, otherwise known as... PAPERWORK! "Come in Jiraiya-sensei. I can sense your chakra signature outside of that window." Minato rubbed his temples.

Jiraiya hopped in with a grin on his face. "I have good news for you, kid. The Toads have given a prophecy. Here it is. 'The Chosen One is a child born of two strong shinobi, bestowed with wisdom and knowledge by Kami and has the blessings of Kami, Yami, Shinigami, and Tozi.' I expect that this child would be either Naruto or Shiki."

"It's Naruto." said Minato. "After all, he is the one that holds the power of the Kyuubi, which was put into him by Shinigami."

"But are you sure? For all we know, Naruto isn't the brightest of kids." Jiraiya said uncertainly.

"It has to be Naruto. He's been training so much already. Oh by the way, the kids' birthday is coming up. What are you gonna give them?" Minato said, quickly changing the subject.

"Hmm. Oh! I'll give them the... Toad Summoning Contract!" Jiraiya said, flaring at the end to make a more dramatic effect.

"Excellent!" Minato said, returning to his paperwork. Frowning, he thought about Shiki. He had really neglected her so much to the point where she didn't even call him "Tou-san" anymore. She just called him "Hokage-sama." That wouldn't do. Tonight, that would change! He set about finishing his paperwork faster, using the **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu**.

* * *

**(Namikaze-Uzumaki Compound)**

Kushina was cooking dinner in the kitchen. A frown marred her face as she thought about her daughter, the daughter that she neglected in favor of Naruto. She felt ashamed to have neglected her, but Minato said that it was for the greater good. A fire of determination blazed to life in her amethyst eyes. She would make it up to her daughter.

The door slammed open as Naruto appeared from returning from the Academy. "Mom! Make more ramen today!" Kushina smiled. It seemed as if Naruto realized that he should welcome his distant sister back into the family as well. There was nothing ramen couldn't solve!

The door opened again, quieter this time, and Kushina heard footsteps behind her before she felt Minato's arms around her waist and a kiss on her cheek.

"Back from work early today?" she asked.

"Yeah." Minato whispered. "We have to make it up to Shiki."

"We absolutely do." Kushina said. With that, Naruto appeared at the foot of the stairs. "Naruto, where's Shiki?" Kushina called.

"I don't know! Imouto always disappears before I can get to her. My blasted fanclub is always in the way." he grumbled. "She's probably off doing her own stuff as usual."

This made Kushina worry. Shiki was off by herself in such a big place like Konoha. It could be dangerous, even for a Hokage's child. The door opened as Shiki limped in, muttering indecipherable words to herself. She had a bandage wrapped around her forearm and gashes in her legs. She hobbled up to her room and shut the door, probably to clean herself up.

When dinner came, Shiki came out of her room to head to the kitchen to eat. When she saw the three waiting for her, she froze. Noticing that they were waiting for her, she stepped cautiously toward the ramen that was prepared for four on the table and sat. They watched her with intense gazes, waiting until she began eating to eat. With a quiet "Itadakimasu," they began feasting on Kushina's ramen. After finishing her bowl of ramen, Shiki rose to go and wash her bowl.

"No need to do that, musume. Let me do it for you." Kushina said, rising with her. Shiki ignored Kushina and continued to the sink.

"I've been doing this for years, Kushina-sama. Why stop now?" Shiki said emotionlessly as she placed the bowl in the dishwasher. Kushina seemed affronted by the way she was addressed by her own daughter. She hadn't even called her "Kaa-san!" She was too shocked to follow Shiki, who went to her room and locked the door.

'So they finally realized they had a brother/sister? Feh, my own teachers are closer to me than them.' Shiki thought.

'_Worry not, Shiki. We are with you always. Even if we have finished teaching you, we will always be with you in your heart._' Ezio told her.

'_Don't trust them, Shiki. After all, we're planning to leave the village soon right? I'm at seven tails worth of youki now. We need a little over one more year to regenerate my youki._" Kyuu said.

'We'll leave on the day of my birthday.' Shiki told them. 'They will never see me again until I come back with my six Paths.'

* * *

**(Namikaze-Uzumaki Compound, October 10)**

"Tou-san! Kaa-san! Let's go! It's our birthday!" Naruto shouted excitedly.

"Go get dressed properly, Naruto. We're going to the Hyuuga Compound this time. We'll come back for your presents later." Minato said lightly.

"Don't forget to get your sister!" Kushina called as Naruto ran to his room.

Minutes later, a Naruto in a traditional males' kimono stood outside his sister's room. He realized that he had never even gone close to it. Gathering his wits, he called to her. "Imouto? Imouto, are you in there? Answer me." he turned away, crestfallen, and made his way to the kitchen, where their parents waited.

"Nani? Where's Shiki?" asked Kushina.

"I don't know. I was calling her, but she didn't answer. I'm not sure what would happen if I went into her room." Naruto said. Minato and Kushina instantly understood that he was scared to go into his sister's room.

"Then let's all go together." Minato suggested.

Within a minute, the family stood at the door of Shiki's room. The moment they entered was when they became shocked. The room was something one would call Spartan. There were no furnishings at all. The only things they found in the room were a bed, a bookshelf, and just one window. There was a basket filled with neatly folded dirty clothes on one side of the room.

Something else in the room intrigued Kushina, though. There was a human shaped model with robes on it. When she looked at the symbol on the sash, she gasped. Minato immediately noticed and came to her side.

"What's wrong, Kushina? Is it about this?" he asked.

"The symbol on the armor… It's a symbol well known among the Uzumaki clan. We are descended from an ancient bloodline of them ourselves. They were called Assassins. The Brotherhood of Assassins. Their Creed was three lines: 'Hide in plain sight. Stay your blade from the flesh of an innocent. Never compromise the Brotherhood.' Could she really be one of them?" she asked, trembling. How much of her child's life did she miss?

As Kushina thought of this, Shiki exited the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around her beginning-to-develop body.

"What are you doing in here?" she demanded harshly, snapping them from their reverie.

"We came to tell you that we're going to the Hyuuga Compound for the party and then coming back for presents later." Minato said.

"Okay then." she muttered. "Do you mind getting out so I can change?"

Minato and Naruto rushed out, not wanting to face their daughter's/sister's wrath. Kushina, however, stayed.

"Let me help you get dressed, musume. Please. I just want to be part of daughter's life. Please." Kushina pleaded.

Shiki stared at her mother, subtly using Eagle Vision to see her motives. As she had thought, Kushina had become a deep blue color. Turning her Eagle Vision off, she sighed and agreed.

Kushina set about finding good things for her daughter to wear. When she saw that Shiki's towel had dropped to the ground, she clipped Shiki's bra on, and found a matching set of panties. Kushina quickly gave Shiki an undershirt to put on. When Kushina began looking for a kimono for Shiki to wear, she was shocked to find none.

"About kimonos, kaa-san. I don't have any. I'll just wear this." she said, pointing to the white robes underneath.

"A-Are you really... Are you really one of them? An Assassin?" Kushina asked.

"Yes. I am, kaa-san." Shiki said curtly.

"Why?" Kushina couldn't help but ask.

"That is no business of yours. However, tonight, if you prove to be a good mother, I will ask you a question. Your answer will determine whether or not I tell you." Shiki answered cryptically. After Shiki had been outfitted, Kushina decided to braid her daughter's hair.

"Hey come here. Let's braid your hair so it doesn't get in your eyes, hmm?" Kushina said. Shiki shrugged and let Kushina braid. It was a good feeling to have somebody caring for you after so long. People in your mind could only do so much to alleviate the loneliness.

Minato and Naruto waited for them outside the compound. When they saw Shiki come out with Kushina, they were confused as to why she wasn't wearing a kimono. Minato was somewhat befuddled over the fact that Shiki was wearing the armor that Kushina told him about just earlier.

The two males saw nothing but Shiki dressed in white robes. Minato noticed the symbol on the red sash in the front, but he didn't mention anything about it. Shiki's hood was down, and he noticed that her hair was braided, probably done by Kushina.

The family of four began making their way to the Hyuuga Compound, where they were greeted at the gate by a Hyuuga guard. The guard eyed Shiki strangely, as if wondering why she didn't wear formal clothing and chose to wear armor instead.

When the Namikaze family reached the place where the party would be held, they noticed that they were the first to arrive. Seeing that they had nothing to do, they set about waiting for the other clans to arrive. Soon enough, the Yamanaka's arrived with the Nara's and Akimichi's. The Aburame clan arrived soon after, followed by some of the Uchiha.

The party commenced soon after. Shiki immediately walked out, not wanting to become lost in the bustling crowd. She sat on the pond outside and began meditating. A soft, creamy glow surrounded her figure as several large rocks began levitating and spinning around the pond.

Unbeknownst to Shiki, there was a person watching her actions. This person was Uchiha Itachi, a person Shiki had come to love very much. He watched over her, making sure that she wasn't hurt whenever ANBU was not calling for him. He taught her things of his own, including love. He had also come to love Shiki very much. Itachi wasn't sure why, but something about her made him feel different, warm inside. She never called him "Uchiha-sama" or anything like that. Just "'Tachi-kun," a childish nickname.

When Naruto's group of friends walked out, they were mesmerized by Shiki, who was still sitting on the pond and levitating rocks. Uchiha Sasuke, who had made it his job to be like his father, immediately asked Shiki what she was doing.

"I'm practicing my chakra control." she said smoothly. By omitting part of it, she could probably make them pass it off as true.

"Even if you were practicing your chakra control by sitting on that pond, how are you levitating that rock?" Sasuke asked haughtily.

"I'm practicing elemental manipulation as well." Shiki said. It was actually Force powers, but he didn't need to know that. Besides, it could pass off as clan secrets or something of sorts.

"Hn." Sasuke said, turning around and walking away.

Itachi sighed. One version of his father was enough. What did he do to deserve a brother that was like a carbon copy of his father? Even so, he loved Sasuke more than the rest of his clan other than his mother.

Shiki ignored the other kids' questions. They were not threats. Not even Naruto was a threat. Even though he had trained to control the Kyuubi's chakra for most of his life, he would never control more than one tail. That much destructive power could not be controlled without the tranquil soul to balance it.

* * *

**(Namikaze-Uzumaki Compound, later that night)**

Before the night had ended, all the clans were at the Namikaze compound. There was a huge commotion going on inside the house. Itachi, who leaned on the wall to the hallway leading to the bedrooms, saw Shiki walking past him. "Shiki." he said.

"Hmm? Oh hi 'Tachi-kun." she murmured. "I'm going to go to sleep. It's pretty loud and I'm tired. A Kitsune is leaving the Leaf today, Weasel."

Itachi's eyes widened as his mind processed the message. "Why?" he asked.

"I cannot stay. I will be back, 'Tachi-kun. Don't worry." Shiki said, and with that kissed him on the cheek before turning towards her room. However, before she could walk off, a hand grabbed her arm, and she looked at the owner of the arm. Itachi had taken hold of it.

"Hang on." he said. "I have a present for you." Taking out a scroll with the Uchiha fan on it, he handed it to her. After she took it, he hesitantly reached out and wrapped her small, petite figure in a hug. "Be safe." he whispered into her ear.

Feeling her nod, he let her go, and he walked slowly back to where Naruto's presents were. There was a loud clap as Minato stood. "It's time for Naruto to open his presents." The commotion instantly died down.

Before Naruto could begin, a puff of smoke appeared in the middle of the room, and a loud voice began speaking. "The sage of Mount Myoboku, a man who makes ladies swoon in his wake, the Gallant... JIRAIYA!" As the smoke dissipated, the man was seen standing in a most ridiculous pose on a toad. There was a silence as he stepped down and took the large scroll from his back. "Naruto, I want to let you sign the Toad Summoning Contract."

There was a resounding gasp as the others took in that information. Most did not get to sign a summoning contract. It was a great honor.

"Just bite your thumb to draw enough blood to write your name." Jiraiya instructed.

Naruto did just that, and immediately asked how to do the summoning. Jiraiya chuckled and told him that his father would teach him in due time. "Now where's Shiki? I want her to sign it too." Jiraiya said, straightening his clothes.

Kushina frowned as she remembered what Shiki had told her in the morning. She hurried to Shiki's room as Itachi told Minato that Shiki had gone to sleep.

"Don't worry, everyone! She's gone to sleep." Minato said loudly. "We can give it to her tomorrow."

As she entered Shiki's room again, Kushina couldn't help but be concerned about Shiki's wellbeing. No furnishings, no decorations, nothing.

"I see you have come, kaa-san. Are you ready to answer my question?" Shiki said, materializing from the shadows.

Kushina nearly jumped when Shiki materialized like that, but she held herself together, telling herself that she was a kunoichi. "Yes, I am." she said confidently. However, Shiki's question threw her off immediately.

"What is an Uzumaki?"

Kushina was at a loss for words. She didn't expect her daughter to ask such a serious question. Why did Shiki want her to define what an Uzumaki was? She immediately began with a lengthy explanation.

"An Uzumaki is one who has the bloodline of longevity and increased healing ability. We Uzumaki have legendary skills in Fuuinjutsu and Kenjutsu. To our credit, we descended from a line of Assassins. Females of Uzumaki heritage usually have the ability to use chakra chains. Why it is only female is unknown. Some believe that the Uzumaki were descended from the Rikudo Sennin as well as the Senju and Uchiha. One Uzumaki has awakened the Rinnegan, thus solidifying this belief. Uzushiogakure, home of the Uzumaki, was wiped out by Iwa and Kiri. Konoha, for any reason, did not come to assist. I was the last living Uzumaki after Mito-sama died."

"All true." Shiki said. "But you forgot one crucial thing."

"Nani?" Kushina's mouth hung open.

"You forgot that the Uzumaki NEVER abandoned their family." Shiki said firmly. She let the idea sink in before Kushina realized what Shiki thought she had done. Kushina had _abandoned_her. Her mind dimly registered Shiki tightening her sleeves and putting her hood on.

When Kushina saw Shiki climb onto the windowsill, she finally reacted. "Wait! Will you come back?" she asked.

"You will see, kaa-san. If you don't see me by the Graduation Exam in two years, it will be safe to assume that I am dead. But for now, goodbye, okaa-san. Ja ne!" Shiki said, flipping backwards off the windowsill. Kushina rushed to the window to check if she was alright, but Shiki was gone. There was no trace of her at all. She couldn't help but worry. After all, that was her daughter just flipping _backwards_ off of a windowsill at age nine.

* * *

**A/N:** Hey again dear readers! Again, please review and tell me if anything is wrong! I will try to fix it but if I don't think I need to, I won't. Thanks everybody!

_-Phoenixslayer99 out._


	3. Return and Recruitment

**A/N:** Hey guys! Phoenixslayer99 here again. I will try to post chapters within a week of each other, but it may slow down due to school and whatnot. Tell me if you think Shiki is too strong! It's right down here below this. As per usual, please review! Now onto the story!

* * *

**(Details of Shiki's training)**

Force abilities - She is able to use Force abilities of either side with no repercussions. She is neither Jedi nor Sith, but Grey.

Ninjutsu - High A Rank from Kyuubi's guidance.

Genjutsu - Brought up to low Jounin level because it was not focused on as much as others.

Taijutsu - Knows several Taijutsu styles: {_Atsuryokuten_ - focuses on pressure points and quick disabling}, {Ezio's fighting technique, which was used in accompaniment of the Hidden Blade}, and currently learning {_Gensoken_ - a taijutsu style that incorporates usage of all the elements} from the Rikudo Sennin. Speed increased [from borderline low A-rank to high A-rank] and wearing weights on forearms(Hidden Blade vambraces), ankles(boots), and torso(cloak).

Assassin Abilities - Can now Blend seamlessly and is advanced in using the Hidden Blades [from using them on bandits]. {Not initiated into the Brotherhood yet}

* * *

**(Konoha Gates, 3 years later)**

The two Chuunin guards, Kotetsu and Izumo, were chatting about their general ideas on who they thought was hot.

"Hey man, that Yuuhi Kurenai is so hot."

"Nah. I would've thought that Inuzuka Hana is hotter."

"Wait, Uzumaki Ku- hey what's that?" Kotetsu interrupted his thought and pointed down the road. A figure was approaching. Gender was impossible to tell. The figure was short and wore a well-kept brown cloak that obscured everything other than the feet. The feet were actually quite small, allowing the two Chuunin to deduct that the figure was a girl.

"Hello Kotetsu, Izumo. Do you remember me?" The girl asked in a soft, melodic voice as she lowered her hood. Once they saw her amethyst eyes and red hair, they knew they were looking at Namikaze-Uzumaki Shiki, who had disappeared just three years ago.

"S-Shiki-sama! Allow me to escort you to the Hokage Tower!" Kotetsu said.

"There will be no need for that." she said, waving her hand dismissively. Seeing Kotetsu's head drop at that, she continued. "However, if you wish to tag along, you may. But don't tell anybody it's me until the Hokage knows." she said, reaching under her cloak to pull out a pointed white hood. She put the white hood on first before putting on her brown cloak's hood.

As they walked through the village, curious glances were sent at the pair, but Kotetsu waved them all off, mouthing "visitor" to anybody that looked at them.

* * *

**(Hokage Tower)**

Minato groaned as another pile of paperwork was put onto his desk by his secretary. There were many forms still asking for permission to go out and search for his daughter, especially from Kakashi. 'You know what." he thought. 'I'm done with this paperwork.'

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" he said, forming the familiar cross handseal. "Get to work, guys!" he ordered. Hearing the secretary buzz him, he pressed the button on the intercom. "Yes? What is it?"

"You have a visitor, Hokage-sama." she replied.

"Very well, send him in." He sat down on a couch that Sarutobi had placed in there. Minato leaned back, comfortable with relaxing. Unbeknownst to him, his ANBU, who were also in the room with him, were taking notes on how to get paperwork done faster and be somewhere else at the same time.

When the visitor came in, they stowed their notepads and began watching the visitor closely. From below the hood came a girl's soft, melodic voice. "Hello Hokage-sama." She took off her cloak's hood, revealing a pointed white hood.

Minato gaped for a while before collecting his wits. "ANBU, out. I need to have a private chat. Don't worry. I'll be safe enough." he ordered. As his ANBU disappeared, he blurred through a chain of handseals, and the room glowed with a light blue color before fading.

"Shiki! You're back!" Minato said. He tried to hug her, but she raised a hand to stop him.

"Don't hug me. I don't want you to touch me... yet. You have yet to prove to be a father to me. Just as Naruto has still to prove himself a brother of mine." Shiki said. Minato nodded, understanding her reasons.

"Well, then. What do you need?" Minato asked, going into business mode.

"I need a special entry into the Academy Graduation Exam. Hopefully you've made it more difficult than what I have heard. I don't want the Exam to be nothing but a written exam, accuracy test, and E-rank ninjutsu." Shiki said.

"Oh don't worry. I've made it much more difficult than that." Minato said, smirking.

"Now if you don't mind, I'll be taking my leave. I'll be in my room if you need me." With that, Shiki swan dived out of the window. Raising an eyebrow, Minato wondered why people never used the door.

* * *

**(Namikaze-Uzumaki Compound)**

There was a series of pops as Naruto's Shadow Clones tried to swarm him, but Naruto beat them back. This was a test he had thought of himself. He would test himself against his own Shadow Clones to see what he thought like. Then he would make adjustments to his own fighting style to become unpredictable since all his clones knew how he fought.

There was a scuff at the gates, and he turned to see a figure with a pointed white hood, the same hood he saw on his sister three years ago. "Shiki, is that you?" he asked. Receiving a nod in return, he grinned. "Welcome back, imouto!" His jaw dropped to the ground when she disappeared from sight. His remaining clones began going up in smoke. When he received the memories of how they were dispelled, he lightly rubbed the areas where she struck.

"Surely your clones can do better than that, Naruto." Shiki said quietly, appearing by his side. "I'll be in my room. Don't bother me." She turned and entered the house.

Shiki entered the through the front door, seeing Kushina cooking. "Kaa-san." she said softly. "I'm home."

Kushina turned to the sound of the soft, melodic voice that could only belong to her daughter. "Shiki? Oh, musume!" Kushina rushed from the kitchen to give her daughter a hug. Instead of pushing Kushina away like she did with Minato, Shiki allowed Kushina to envelop her petite body in a hug.

"Can we talk in my room?" Shiki asked.

"Sure." Kushina agreed and summoned a Kage Bunshin to finish the cooking. Entering Shiki's room, Shiki shrugged off her Jedi cloak and hung it in the closet. Beginning to loosen her armor, she paused when she felt Kushina's hands begin to assist her in taking the armor off. After putting the armor onto the model, Shiki was left in nothing but her undershirt, bra and panties. She sat on the edge of her bed.

"You really kept it clean in here. Than you." she began quietly.

"Oh no, it was really no problem at all, musume." Kushina replied quickly.

Patting a spot by her side, Shiki motioned for Kushina to sit by her. Kushina did so in an elegant, graceful movement that only a kunoichi could do. Shiki began shortly after that. "As you know, I am just a twelve-year-old child. I may not be physically old, but my mental age is much greater. I have the mind of a twenty-year-old at the least."

"There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with that." Kushina said.

"There is nothing wrong with it. But my mind has deduced one thing. Naruto is not the Child of Prophecy." Shiki said firmly.

"Really?" Kushina asked.

"Yes. Because I am the Child of Prophecy. But this is to remain secret. I am not loyal to Konoha. I am loyal to the Assassins and the Uzumaki." Shiki replied.

"I understand how you feel, but why else do you want this to remain secret?"

"I have some other powers as well. I have the Rinnegan." Shiki admitted. "I don't want my Templar dog of a father to use me as a breeding factory."

"Templar? They've been long dead though. The Assassins said so in their records." Kushina gasped.

"Just because the Templars of old are dead does not mean a new generation of Templars could be born. Templars do things for "the greater good." Just like Shimura Danzo, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the rest of the Elders on the Council, and the man who is my father." She spat.

"How is he a Templar? Do you have any evidence?" Kushina was beginning to worry.

"Oh I've been here longer than just a day. I slipped into the Hokage Office a week ago. I saw him poring over some plans. He was muttering to himself. I even used my Eagle Vision to check him out. He was colored red." Shiki said with certainty. "I also have to check you for any loyalty and/or obedience seals. He is also a Fuuinjutsu master. He's had ample opportunity to put it on you. Let me check."

Kushina agreed hesitantly. He would have put it somewhere where she couldn't see it. She felt slightly embarrassed when Shiki checked the undersides of her breasts as well as her buttocks.

"Ah! Found it. Bottom side of left buttocks. Unable to be seen by you. He probably applied it by 'groping you randomly' in the bathroom or during a shower together. Same method of strengthening." Shiki rattled off.

Kushina was beginning to doubt Minato's love for her. He had groped Kushina somewhat strangely before, but she didn't remember much after that. She noticed that she didn't remember anything for an hour after each time. "What?" She gasped. "Why would he do that to me?"

"Konoha has always been the greediest village when it came to bloodlines or strong people. I'm sorry Kaa-san, but we must leave this dreadful place. This is no place for strong kunoichi like us. Brace yourself, I am breaking the loyalty seal." Shiki said.

Feeling an ink brush glide across her skin on her lower left buttocks, she relaxed, knowing that if she moved, she could disrupt the breaking of the seal. When it had broken, it felt like a mist on her mind had lifted. Fully realizing the danger of the situation, she began to worry.

"Worry not, kaa-san. I'll gather up my friends and we'll leave by tomorrow night. Play along with Minato's ideas until then. I say… You were acting like a fangirl, listening to everything he said." Shiki said, chuckling.

"Shut up!" Kushina's cheeks burned red from embarrassment.

"Kaa-san, you need to rest. Sleep." Shiki said, waving her hand at Kushina.

Once Kushina had fallen asleep, Shiki set about getting ready to get her friends ready for the escape with Kushina and herself. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu! Spread out girls! Get 'Tachi-kun, Mikoto, Hana, Yuugao, Kurenai, Anko, Neji, and Hizashi! Tell them the situation. Rendezvous tomorrow night on Hokage monument! Tell them to bring all their belongings if possible. Move out!" Shiki ordered briskly. Her clones vanished in a mass Shunshin.

* * *

**(Uchiha Compound)**

Mikoto was doing the last of the cleaning around the household in the kitchen. It tended to be the dirtiest place, so it always took her forever to clean it. She heard a knock on the door. "Who is it?" she called.

"The Kitsune has returned to the Leaf and is here to see both yourself and the Weasel." came the reply. Mikoto paused in her cleaning and went to get the door, subtly pulsing her chakra so that only Itachi would notice. He silently appeared by her side.

Opening the door, they got a full view of their visitor. "Shiki!" Mikoto exclaimed, wrapping the petite girl in a hug. After Mikoto let go of her, Shiki went to Itachi. "'Tachi-kun?" she asked, holding her arms out. To the shock of his mother, he stepped forward and hugged Shiki.

"I missed you." he murmured quietly into her ear.

"Me too. But I'm just a clone. Boss and kaa-san have discovered plans to use me as a breeding factory. Gather your things and rendezvous with us tomorrow night on the Hokage Mountain. Ja ne!" The clone said, puffing up in smoke. Mikoto and Itachi looked at each other and minutely nodded.

* * *

**(Yuugao's Residence)**

After Shiki's clone had told her what happened in private, she agreed as long as she could ask Hayate if he would come. Confronting Hayate, she asked him if he would do anything for her. He instantly said yes. Then she dropped the bomb. "Will you be willing to betray Konoha? I want to go with my sensei. She and her daughter have discovered terrible plans made by Hokage-sama. They no longer wish to stay with Konoha. So I ask you again. Will you be willing to betray Konoha to stay with me?"

Hayate hesitated. "K-Konoha is my home. I'm terribly sorry Yuugao, but I cannot in good conscience abandon my home just for such a petty reason. I am too sick to go with you anyways. My heart goes with you."

"Thank you for not being against this, but Shiki has many powers. She may even be able to heal you. Please." Yuugao pleaded.

"The doctors told me that only Tsunade would be able to heal me. But she's always too focused on others. I cannot bring myself to interrupt her work just for my own life." Hayate sighed before a fit of coughing took him.

"Hayate! We can live together, just like we planned, and if Shiki heals you, we can be happy! Happy with everything, even as nuke-nin of Konoha." Yuugao looked at him with teary eyes. "Please. Just try."

"Very well then. We shall go together. I will ask Shiki if she can heal me. If not, then I'll die knowing that we love each other." Hayate conceded, coughs racking him.

* * *

**(Hokage Mountain, the next night)**

The band of people Shiki collected to join her and her mother stood in a circle atop the Mountain, surrounding Shiki and Kushina. Throwing some documents down, Shiki told them to read them.

"I snatched these in the cover of an extremely late night. They are plans, made by the one and only Namikaze Minato. One part of said plans is to make me into nothing but a Kami-forsaken baby factory. However, we can leave right now and abandon this dump that is ruled by a corrupt Templar dog."

There was a murmur of assent as she finished what she had to say. However, Mikoto was confused. "Why is Kushina coming along?" she asked.

"She has proven herself to me. She agreed to this, and there was a loyalty seal on her, binding her to Minato's will. Dirty piece of shit." Shiki spat. "Alright. My methods of travelling are quite unorthodox, so be prepared for anything. Blend in with the crowd. Hide in plain sight. We'll split up. Rendezvous at the Naka Shrine. It has a secret passageway leading out of Konoha. Let's move!" With that, the twelve figures that stood upon the Mountain flickered away.

* * *

**(Konoha Forest Outskirts)**

Twelve figures sped through the forest, leaping from branch to branch with little difficulty. They discussed their plans while they moved. "We need somewhere to stay. We are nukenin of Konoha now. We cannot afford to stay somewhere where oinin can pick us off." Itachi said.

"Agreed. How about we restore the long ruined land of Uzushiogakure? We can take in other nukenin and make them loyal to us while recruiting other special people to join our ranks. I have plans for the other eight Jinchuuriki." Shiki said.

"Hmm not a bad idea. What kind of nukenin do we want though? We certainly can't have rapists or maniacs in our ranks." Yuugao said.

"No. We will not. Those nukenin will be disposed of, and we will collect the bounties to help pay for the reconstruction. But first, we need a place to stay. How about Nami no Kuni? It's practically unreachable. We can stay there. It's isolated, so it's ideal." Kushina said.

The group quickly agreed and changed course.

* * *

**Preview of next chapter:**

"Wait Shiki! Let me come with you this time." Itachi said. "If you're going to be collecting Jinchuuriki, it would be best if an Uchiha was with you to make sure you're okay." His words did not betray his feelings, but the message was clearly interpreted.

"Very well. Can you keep up though?" Shiki asked playfully, jumping towards the entrance of the cave. "Ikuzo 'ttebane!"

* * *

**A/N:** What do you think guys and girls? Please review!

_-Phoenixslayer99 out._


	4. Kiri and Sanbi

**A/N:** Hey dear readers! This chapter is finally here! Sorry if it's a little late ~ I didn't have time to post it because of school and work. Between those two and eating, there wasn't really a lot of time, but here it is!

Shiki and her followers are now headed to an unknown destination! What will they encounter? Read and find out!

* * *

**(Nami no Kuni)**

Wave Country was not as pleasant as they would have thought. The people there were dressed in naught but rags. A man named Gatou had taken over the whole country and was squeezing the life out of it with his monopolization of the area. A man named Kaiza was always rounding the villagers up, but it seemed he had been caught and would be executed publicly soon.

Gathering their wits and supplies, the shinobi blended in with the crowd, spacing themselves out over the thatched roofs of the buildings to take note of the situation. Kaiza had been tied in an enclosed area to a cross of sorts. Gatou, the short and pudgy man he was, was standing smugly in front of Kaiza. Two burly samurai stood at either side of the man. Many other thugs stood around the area, raising weapons if any dared to voice their thoughts or even whimper.

"The time has come for this _rebellion_ of yours to end!" Gatou said, sneering. "It will end with the execution of this man you all love so dearly much." Snapping his fingers, he ordered them to commence the execution of Kaiza. However, that was not to happen as a sickening _crack_ came from the samurai who stepped up to behead Kaiza, and he toppled over, dead. A sharp kunai embedded itself deep in the head of the other samurai, and Gatou could only freeze as an invisible force held him in place.

The thugs roared and charged recklessly at the now visible shinobi. With the efficiency only ANBU could achieve, Itachi and Yuugao drew their blades and cut them all down with an incredible speed.

Stepping up to the stand, Shiki stood with her hand raised toward Gatou. She lifted her arm, and with it, Gatou as well, even though she wasn't touching him. "Gatou of the Gatou Shipping Company, you are alone. All of your accomplices have either been incapacitated or decapitated. How do you wish to plead your innocence?" She asked coldly.

"N-No! Please! Don't kill me! I'll pay you! Women! Ryo! Slaves! An army! Just please, don't kill me!" Gatou pleaded pitifully.

"Tell me where you keep your money. And I want your keys and codes to all of them." Shiki said. Gatou hurriedly fumbled for a notepad and wrote everything down. "Thank you so much. Now run, little pig, run."

"Wait. You're letting me live?" Gatou asked hopefully.

"No. You just wasted four seconds of my time. Kill him." She spat the last two words. In a flash, Itachi's ninjato decapitated the man.

"We will return your money and belongings to make this country well again! We will assist in any way we can. Our only request is that you allow us to stay here without letting our presence here be known, especially to Konoha-nin." Kushina proclaimed.

The crowd cheered as she finished. 'A good way to start this.' she thought. Shiki moved to stand beside her mother.

"Kaa-san, I have business that needs attending to, and it concerns the other eight Jinchuuriki. We can make them into our elites if I can convince them to join us. If I can't convince them to join us, there'll be nothing left for me to do but take their Bijuu. The Bijuu were never meant to become weapons. They were malevolent forces in the world, yes, but they were peacekeepers of their respective lands. Therefore, we as Uzumaki should stop this. The Rikudo Sennin wishes it of us." Shiki said.

'No sentient being should ever be made prisoner and used as a weapon. Bring them all back to Uzushiogakure. I cannot bear to watch my children being used like this.' Rikudo Sennin had said as if pained.

"Okay, musume. Go. But be careful out there." Kushina said, concerned.

"Hai hai." Shiki muttered as she **Shunshin**'d away.

* * *

**(Sunagakure no Sato)**

A small figure shrouded by a cloak and hood trudged over and between dunes of sand. Upon reaching the visible gates that were there, the guards asked for papers. Handing over several documents, the guard looked over parts of them before handing them back and beckoning the visitor in.

Heading directly to the Kazekage's office, the figure went to his secretary, who was just outside, and asked about whether or not the Kazekage would have visitors. The secretary said yes, so she beckoned the figure in.

The Kazekage, Nagi, groaned again as he sat behind towering stacks of paperwork. He swore that they kept growing rather than becoming smaller. Hearing somebody enter, he called out from behind the stacks of paperwork. "Who is it?"

A soft, melodic voice answered him. "Good day, Kazekage-sama. I am Namikaze-Uzumaki Shiki, but do not tell my father of this event. I have no wish to share the name of a father who abandoned me to the wolves, so just call me Uzumaki Shiki. I have a solution concerning your children."

Nagi's eyes widened. Could she really help his conflict between his duties to the village and his duties as a father and husband? "Very well. Let us discuss what you have, Shiki." He said evenly.

"I propose taking your family out of the village along with you leaving a **Chishio Bunshin** to take care of the village. I know that **Chishio Bunshin** may not be that reliable, considering the fact that they are independent from the user once the technique is activated, but this could help your conflict between your duties to the village as a Kage and your family." Shiki explained.

"Hmm. That could actually work. I can train Gaara with his sand, you'll be there to keep him in control... Wait, you do know about seals right?" Nagi asked.

"Of course I do. It's in my blood." Shiki omitted the part of Kami giving her the knowledge of sealing arts as a whole. Mentally thanking Kami, she gestured for him to continue his opinion.

"So I would have Uzumakis keeping him in control while I trained him with his sand. Kushina might be able to teach Gaara how to control the Bijuu inside of him, and then he'd be perfect! So long as you can strengthen the seal on him, he should be fine. Chiyo didn't do such a good job."

"That would be no problem, Kazekage-sama. If you wish to leave the village, draw two pints of your own blood and make these handseals to activate the **Chishio Bunshin**." Shiki said, going through a chain of handseals at a moderate speed. "Meet me outside the village. I await you and your family at the Wind Temple."

* * *

**(Wind Temple)**

"Tou-san! Where are you taking us!?" Temari shouted. She was worried; he never took them anywhere.

"The Wind Temple!" he shouted back. He was carrying Gaara in his arms, a strategy he thought useful for keeping Gaara in control. "Gaara." he said, quieter this time. "Don't fall asleep. I have plans, plans that I have made with an Uzumaki. They will strengthen your seal and help you learn to control the Shukaku. Worry not, my son."

Gaara, who had grown used to the hard glares and cold shoulder of his father, was shocked. He did not understand. Why? Why were they going to help him? He was alone in the world, or so he thought.

Upon arriving at the Wind Temple, a figure in white robes greeted them. It was Shiki, dressed in the Assassin Robes of the Assassin Order. Her pointed hood was up, and it was quite distinguishable. "Come. We must hurry. The Yondaime Hokage has heard of my disappearance along with kaa-san, so we must make haste. **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**" she said, three clones appearing beside her. "Let them carry your children, Kazekage-sama. They won't move fast enough for us to avoid Konoha's ANBU. Ikuzo!" she said, blurring away.

"Where are we heading?" the Kazekage asked as he came up beside her.

"Nami no Kuni. It's isolated. Nobody would look there for a while. It's our base of operations. The people there have agreed to keep our presence there a secret. But for now, let us just make haste. Konoha ANBU agents won't wait forever. Their Inu, Hatake Kakashi, is an excellent tracker with those dogs of his."

Nagi remained silent. 'Could they make it?' he thought to himself...

* * *

**(Nami no Kuni)**

They had finally arrived after five hours of nonstop traveling. Stopping in front of a hidden cave, Shiki called out. "Password: 'The Leaf will burn at the hands of the New Whirlpool!' Let us in!" The rock slid to the side. Stepping cautiously inside, Nagi looked around, only to see a small fire with a pot over it.

"Kazekage-sama!" a feminine voice called. Kushina appeared from a different corridor. "Shiki! Why'd you bring them here?"

"They are part of my plans, kaa-san. I plan to have elites in our forces. Kazekage-sama is very intelligent. He could either work as our lead strategist or as T&I. I hear people aren't very fond of sand, so that could be disturbing. Just put one grain of overheated sand into their stomachs, and they'll be giving out any information you want!" Shiki explained.

Temari and Kankuro were more or less intimidated by the people in the cave. With the dim lighting, there was hardly anything to be seen. "C-Can we have more light?" Kankuro stuttered.

Shiki turned to him and smiled gently, although it was impossible for him to see it. "Sure." she said. Raising her arms and channeling the Force along with chakra, she spoke. "**Hi wa, taimatsu o tento.**" The Force carried the fire chakra to their destinations. Sure enough, moments after she spoke, the torches that were unseen blazed to life with a bright white flare. The cave and its interior could now be seen clearly. There was a large area used as a kitchen or living room. There were two couches and two armchairs, all facing the center, in which a fire was contained. "Make yourselves at home, Sabaku no Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, Nagi." Kushina said, gesturing to the couches and armchairs.

Shiki stepped to her mother's side. "Kaa-san, Gaara is a Jinchuuriki. He contains the Ichibi no Shukaku. I'm off to recruit some Kiri-nin. I heard of a distant relative that was bustier than Tsunade!"

"Hai. Be careful, musume. Take some ryo with you." Kushina said softly, hugging her daughter.

"Wait Shiki! Let me come with you this time." Itachi said. "If you're going to be collecting Jinchuuriki, it could be better if an Uchiha was with you to make sure you're okay." His words did not betray his feelings, but the message was clearly interpreted.

"Very well. Can you keep up though?" Shiki asked playfully, jumping towards the entrance of the cave. "Ikuzo 'ttebane!"

* * *

**(Mizu no Kuni)**

Terumi Mei and her advisors, who were sitting around a table, were poring over plans to take Yagura down and finally end the Bloodline Purges. "We should take out these key outposts. Yagura will know we're coming, but he won't fight until we meet him in combat inside Kiri." Mei said, pointing to several outposts on the map that sat on the table.

"If only we had Utakata with us. Then we could take Yagura down with ease! But Utakata disappeared with the Rokubi, and we are unable to find him." An officer said.

There was a silence after that. Mei opened her mouth to speak, but she, along with her advisors, sensed a buildup of chakra nearby their location. "Quiet!" she said instead, drawing a hidden kunai from... somewhere.

"Now, now. I only heard some of your plans. I wasn't exactly planning on coming like this, but I expect you would want me to show myself rather than fleeing and getting chased down." a soft, melodic voice said lightly. Stepping out from the shadows, the figure was revealed to be quite short. "If you want, I could help you defeat Yagura. I will not allow him to be killed. He is under a Genjutsu, made by Uchiha Obito, or was it Uchiha Madara? Hmm. Let me think."

The shinobi sweatdropped as they listened to the girl. Ao, one of Mei's bodyguards, spoke. "Will you just shut up and tell us why you're here?"

"Ao." Mei called. He turned to her. "Shut up, or I'll kill you." she said in a sickly sweet voice. Turning to the newcomer, she began speaking. "Why should we let you help us? How do we know you can be trusted?"

"Well I couldn't just leave my distant relative to fend for herself. The Terumi were once part of the Uzumaki, hence the red hair. And I brought somebody to help." Looking to the skies, she began screaming. "Utakata! Don't just float up there in your damned bubble! Get the hell down here! Or else I will send you to hell! The Shinigami's my friend! No! Don't stay up there! Or else I will go up there and slap you to Konoha and back again 'ttebane!"

There was a slight _pop_ as Utakata lost his concentration and began plummeting down, landing and creating a somewhat medium-sized crater. He groaned as he sat up. Looking at Shiki, he sighed and shook his head.

"Nani?" Mei asked. "The Terumi... They used to be Uzumaki?" She was bewildered. She had thought that the Terumi were just a clan from Kiri. She was the last of them, for Yagura had wiped them all out.

"Hai. I have another friend that could possibly help us during the battles. He is a genius! And he's my friend, so yeah. Itachi! Come out!" Shiki called.

Walking out of their hiding spot, Itachi looked at them and gave a minute nod. Then he closed his eyes and opened them to reveal the Mangekyo Sharingan before returning his eyes to their previous state of a fully matured Sharingan. He looked over at the redhead he traveled with before suddenly remembering what had happened on the way to Mizu no Kuni.

* * *

**_(Flashback)_**

_ Speeding through trees, Shiki and Itachi were making quick travel. They had only stopped once for food and water, and it would not take long for them to reach the Land of Water. Night had fallen, but Itachi did not wish to camp in such an exposed area: such was a shinobi's natural desire. Shiki then found a small grove of trees that would conceal them from prying eyes._

_ After laying blankets down to sleep, he realized that the spacing was actually not very big. Gaping for a moment, he slapped himself mentally and thought, 'At least she's not one of my fangirls.' and shuddered at the thought of those banshees. Laying down to sleep, he felt Shiki lay down in front of him so that he was practically spooning her as she pulled the covers over them._

_ Suppressing the urge to have a nosebleed, Itachi continued pretending to be asleep already. "Are you asleep already, 'Tachi-kun? I would've thought you'd be awake for a little while longer. Never mind that. You're awake now. I wanna ask you a question." Shiki said._

_ "Hmm? Go ahead." Itachi replied._

_ "Why were you so willing to come with me and kaa-san? I thought your loyalty to Konoha was unwavering." asked Shiki, trembling as she thought of what would happen if he said something different than what she expected._

_ Not knowing how to answer, Itachi remained silent for a while, pondering how to answer this inquiry. His mother was a great friend of Kushina, and he was a great friend of Shiki's. The Yondaime would be angry, yes, but at least they could have some sort of freedom from the jurisdiction of others. He had also had a sort of fantasy of him and Shiki getting together and being free. "My mother is a great friend of yours, and I am a great friend to you as well. But I have something to tell you. I -" Itachi began._

_ "- decided to come because you like me more than you care to admit?" Shiki finished for him. Of course, she knew it was true because his thoughts betrayed him. The Force was helping her see what his thoughts were._

_ Itachi was shocked. How did she know? He had kept it carefully hidden away, so what gave him away? "Yes. I've loved you for a long time, Shiki. I would never betray that trust."_

_ "Well I have something to give you. Wait a second. Let me turn around." Squirming and turning her body slowly around under the blankets to face Itachi, they froze when they realized their position. Before Shiki could react, Itachi leaned closer and placed a chaste kiss on her red lips before withdrawing once again. A faint wisp of color could be seen on his face even in the dim light of the moon and stars because of his telltale Uchiha pale skin._

_ Shiki gaped at the usually stoic and controlled boy. She closed her mouth and gasped. "Why?"_

_ "I love you Shiki. I always have." he said simply. He lifted his hand to caress her smooth cheek and leaned in for another kiss to make sure she understood what he said. Shiki closed her eyes and revelled in the sensations Itachi was causing. Electric shocks of pleasure coursed through her body. Her hands came up to his head and mashed their heads together, deepening the kiss. Shiki moaned as Itachi's tongue stroked her bottom lip._

_ The sensations Itachi was causing was causing Shiki to lose control over her body. She pressed herself tightly to Itachi's chiseled body, and her hands threaded themselves deeply in his thick locks of raven black hair. The redhead moaned again as Itachi began plundering her mouth with his tongue until they had to part due to need for breath._

_ Planting butterfly kisses down her neck and throat, Shiki shuddered once more before gently stopping him. "I love you too Itachi. After all those years alone, you became a light for me." A tear escaped her eye and began languidly sliding down her face. She looked down, avoiding eye contact as color rose to her cheeks._

_ Itachi lifted a hand to her cheek and flicked the tear away. Lifting her face with two fingers, her glistening amethyst eyes lifted to meet his dark smoldering obsidian eyes. His lips crashed onto her own kiss-swollen lips in a passionate, searing kiss that set his insides burning with emotions he had not felt since before ANBU training. Shiki's arms linked gently around his neck and she pressed herself closer to Itachi, deepening the kiss even further. They continued to kiss for awhile before breaking apart. "I love you. Never forget that." said Itachi as Shiki fell asleep, snuggled up to the powerful Uchiha's chest and wrapped in his arms._

**_(Flashback End)_**

* * *

"Hey cutie. Aren't you from Konoha?" Mei asked.

"Before you try to continue flirting with me, I must say that I have a girlfriend." Itachi said, gesturing to Shiki. "She's a Jinchuuriki for the Kyuubi, so I'm not really sure if you should keep trying for me. She has many other powers as well. And to answer your question, I _was_ from Konoha. Now I'm with Shiki."

"Oh." Mei said, looking crestfallen. She didn't know that her distant niece could be the cutie's girlfriend! How was she supposed to know? People normally didn't reject her advances anyways.

"We need to get back to planning, Mei-sama. We must make haste. If we stay here any longer, it could get dangerous." an advisor said.

"Alright. Change of plans. Shiki and Itachi will attack the northern outpost on their own. We will split our forces in half to take out the eastern and middle outposts. Understood?"

"Hai, Mei-sama!" came the chorus of her advisors.

"Rendezvous at the middle outposts and set up camp there after we take them out! Move out!" Mei ordered, blurring out of sight.

"'Tachi-kun! Ikuzo 'ttebane!" Shiki said excitedly. Itachi and Shiki disappeared in a **Shunshin**.

* * *

**(Northern Outpost)**

"Why the fuck do we have to be out here? We already got most of the bloodline shits, so why are we out here?" a guard muttered angrily.

"Mizukage-sama ordered it, so we can't say shit." another guard said. "Now be quiet and keep watch."

There was a scream from outside the outpost. Resting guards woke up and began rushing out. There was a girl, no older than twelve, crying over a body. The body was that of a boy, barely four years older. The boy was covered in cuts and burns. The cuts oozed blood. "Help him!" the girl screamed hysterically.

"Hurry! Get them inside." a med-nin said. "Give the girl a blanket, and get me another blanket for the boy. I'll check his blood for any bloodlines, and the girl too. Worry not, they seem harmless enough."

Minutes later, the med-nin lay dead beside the boy's bed. The girl had come up behind him and palmed the back of his head. The blade slid in and retracted in an instant. The med-nin toppled over, but she caught him and set him down gently so they would not alert the other guards.

"Come on 'Tachi-kun. He's dead, and we have more people to take care of." the girl, revealed to be Shiki, said. Itachi stood up and dispelled the two-layer genjutsu on himself. The wounds disappeared.

"I'm surprised he didn't even think he was under a genjutsu." Itachi commented.

"That's because I put another Genjutsu on him to make him think we were harmless." Shiki said. Itachi chuckled when she said it. A kunai appeared in his hand. "Let's finish this outpost and burn it to the ground." he said menacingly.

"With pleasure." Shiki said, smirking. She quickly bit her thumb and swiped it over a tattoo of the Assassins' symbol, summoning her other bracer, which had her other Hidden Blade in it. There was an almost inaudible _click_ as the blades slid into place outside of the bracers. The two then blurred out of sight. Seconds later, the sounds of metal piercing flesh and guards groaning began filling the place. Within two minutes, the outpost was burning with an unnatural white fire.

Itachi and Shiki stood at a safe distance away from the fire. Itachi's arm was wrapped around Shiki's waist. "Let's go rendezvous with the others." Itachi said. Shiki nodded and grinned. "Hold onto me. I can get us there quickly." Itachi sighed but relented and took a firm hold on Shiki.

Letting the powers of the Force and her chakra augment her strength, she channeled them to her legs. When she deemed she had charged up enough energy, she released Force energy in one explosive leap. Flying through the air, Shiki used subtle wind manipulation to lessen the air resistance and keep their speed steady.

As they approached the ground, they saw a lighted camp area where the rebel forces had assembled and let go of each other. Flipping in the air gracefully, they landed without a noise, absorbing the shock of the impact with chakra. Walking through the camp, they found Mei and her advisors discussing more plans. "Ah. There you two are. We were discussing the invasion of Kirigakure."

"Who is to become Mizukage after Yagura leaves? He will not want to stay. Even if he was influenced by a Genjutsu, he will take those actions as his own and leave." Shiki said. All of the shinobi present turned to Mei.

"Stop staring at me, or I'll kill you." Mei said in a sickly sweet voice. All who were looking at her immediately turned away. "So as I was saying, there are several key points where we can enter Kirigakure. We can enter through here, here, and here." She said, pointing to key points on a map of Kirigakure. "Spies report no guards posted there. We can infiltrate with small squads of two to five and open the gates for the invasion."

"Itachi and I will infiltrate through this point." Shiki cut in, pointing at a point closest to the Mizukage Tower. "I will attempt to release the Genjutsu over Yagura so we can cut our losses down. You guys should get two special ops groups to take out some of the guards and open the gates."

"Good plan." Mei said. "I'll try to get to you as fast as possible, but I don't guarantee it, considering how many shinobi Yagura has."

"Don't worry about me." Shiki said, grinning. Her abnormally sharp canines gleamed in the dim light.

* * *

**(Kirigakure no Sato)**

Explosions, the shouts of jutsu, and the clash of weapons were heard as the loyal forces of Yagura tried to push back the invading rebel forces. The bloodline-wielding rebels gave them an advantage over the non-bloodline-wielding shinobi who opposed them.

At the Mizukage Tower, Yagura stood with his robes billowing in the wind. He sensed somebody approaching from behind him. "Hello young one. Are you a bloodline wielder, come to kill me?"

"No." He heard a girl's voice, soft and melodious upon the slight breeze. "I've come to free you. Come. Meditate with me and open your mind."

"How do I know whether or not I can trust you? You may claim that you are not a bloodline wielder, but how do I know you are not?" Yagura asked.

"It is simple: I wish no harm upon you. I merely wish for you to join me in my endeavors for peace." the girl replied.

"Very well. The bloodline wielders have always been warmongers. Perhaps this could help relieve some stress. You are wise, girl." Yagura conceded, and knelt down, clearing his mind so he could meditate. As he began to feel his chakra, he noticed a thin layer of foreign chakra across a portion of his brain. However, when he moved his chakra to rid himself of it, the girl spoke again.

"Be still, Mizukage-sama. I will clear it from your head." Shiki's hands began to glow with an ethereal white. "_Force Heal_." Instantly, Yagura's head became cleared. All of his memories of what he did as a Mizukage came rushing back to him.

"No. No! NO! What have I done?!" Yagura screamed. "I ruined Kiri! NO! Why... Why did I even decide to do such things?"

"Uchiha 'Madara,' or perhaps it was Uchiha Obito, put you under a Genjutsu that made you weaken Kiri's forces so that they could no longer be a threat to himself after he left." Shiki explained, her voice strained.

"After what I have done, I cannot bear to let myself see my people. Please, kill me where I stand." Yagura pleaded.

"No. You can have another chance. Disappear with me and train with your Bijuu under my guidance. I will guarantee that your people will not know the new you when you return. Come." Shiki beckoned. Yagura thought about it for a moment before agreeing.

"Very well, I will disappear with you. I owe a debt to you, my young friend." Yagura said. "Let us begone." WIth a nod of agreement, Shiki and Yagura disappeared from the Mizukage Tower just as the bloodline wielders burst through the door behind them.

A little ways off from Kirigakure no Sato, two shadows were dashing through the moonlit clearings leading to the Wave, and another joined them. They made good time, and arrived at Wave within a few hours.

* * *

**(With Terumi Mei)**

"Mei-obasan!" someone called. Mei rushed out and enveloped the owner of the voice in a hug. "Careful. I am merely a **Kage Bunshin** sent to give you a message." Mei let go of the younger redhead and gestured for the clone to continue. "Recall all the remnants of the Kiri no Shinobigatana Nananin Shu. Rebuild the Seven Swordsman of the Mist. If they remain rogue, it will be more trouble than it is worth, especially with Hoshigaki Kisame on the loose."

"Thank you, Shiki, for all of your help. Say hi to the cutie for me." Mei replied, winking as Shiki nodded. "And give Kushina-itoko my regards!" The clone poofed away in a cloud of smoke.

* * *

**(Nami no Kuni)**

Shiki led the two to a dead stop, spiking her chakra up in seemingly irregular patterns as they stood in front of a cliff face. The rocks in front of them fell away, and an entrance appeared. Beckoning Yagura and Itachi forward, she herded them into the narrow passageway, which was revealed to be quite short. They emerged into a large room, where a small fire still crackled from earlier.

"Itachi, show Yagura his living quarters. I must speak to kaa-san." Shiki said softly. Itachi nodded, leading Yagura to another thin passageway that was lit by lone torches along the way. Shiki approached her mother's room. Flaring her chakra slightly, she stood framed in the doorway by the light of a torch mounted behind her.

"You're back," Kushina said, relieved. Shiki allowed her mother to pull her into a gentle hug. "How was the mission?" she inquired.

"It went well." replied Shiki. "We have Yagura, and he is safe with us. Now we must go search for the Yonbi and Gobi Jinchuuriki, who have gone rogue from Iwa…"

* * *

**A/N: **This chapter is a bit longer ~ I didn't really like how short my other chapters were, so I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. As usual, give my your feedback and just review! Reviews are good! I'll edit accordingly if it can be changed. Hopefully I'll be able to post the next chapter soon. I also hope to start a Female!HarryPotter Fanfiction soon, so just stay tuned!

-_Phoenixslayer99 out._


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